Conference a show of strength

THE colossal people’s party, ZANU PF, held its 20th National People’s Conference in Gweru, Midlands province, from October 27 to 28.

Dr Obert Moses Mpofu

The successful conference clearly showed ZANU PF’s might and popularity.

Indeed, ZANU PF is such a powerful force that cannot be stopped.

I am sure all have seen how well-organised the people’s party is and how well it is structured.

The recently held conference was indeed a show of strength.

My party, ZANU PF, once more held a spectacular conference that bore testament to its popularity, strength and ability to appeal to the masses.

It was all jubilation and fanfare as we celebrated His Excellency, President Cde Dr ED Mnangagwa’s and ZANU PF’s victory in the August harmonised elections.

ZANU PF is indeed a colossal party that is well-organised and is structured like a well-oiled machine.

Up to the last minute, my office was inundated with several requests from dedicated party cadres seeking accreditation and wanting to take part in this year’s festivities.

The recently held conference attracted well over 3 000 delegates.

The display of popularity and ability to attract delegates from all corners of the country should be the signal the opposition requires to flee and take cover.

The Midlands province, which hosted us, should be commended for the stellar job they did in ensuring that this conference was a resounding success.

They were well-organised and disciplined and this ensured that our conference was carried out without a hitch.

Of note, the just-ended conference saw the appointment by President Mnangagwa of Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Cde General Valerio B. Sibanda, a renowned war veteran, as an ex-officio member of the Politburo.

Cde Gwenzi, as he was known during the war, was instrumental in the fight for Zimbabwe’s independence.

He received his training at Morogoro in Tanzania, where I had earlier received my training.

It was at this same camp, Morogoro, where most commanders of the liberation struggle received their training.

Contrary to misplaced speculation on social media, there is nothing amiss or new about this appointment that should be a cause for concern.

Other decorated members of our defence forces such as the late General Solomon Mujuru, General Josiah Tungamirai and General Zvinavashe have all served as members of the Politburo.

All these revered men are political soldiers and no one should try to separate their notable contribution to our country’s independence or their ties with the party that brought about the country’s independence, ZANU PF.

Cde Gwenzi’s appointment should not be viewed as a political appointment, but as one that is based on the country’s history.

Cde Gwenzi’s liberation war credentials are impossible to ignore and this justifies his inclusion in the Politburo.

Cde Gwenzi’s appointment to the ZANU PF Politburo as an ex-officio member is not a break with history, but a reaffirmation of the need to honour those who fought for this country and have them take a decisive seat in determining its affairs.

Most importantly, the just-ended 20th National People’s Conference renewed and energised my party ZANU PF’s resolve, more so as we head into the upcoming by-elections.

I sense another ZANU PF victory just beyond the horizon.

You see, winning is deeply entrenched in ZANU PF’s DNA.

Political parties are only relevant when they can win votes. Votes are the currency and profit for political parties.

This explains why there is so much bitterness from the CCC and Nelson Chamisa, who have once again failed to make any meaningful political strides and attain votes.

While it is unfortunate that the opposition is tearing itself apart, this infighting and confusion that is self-inflicted presents an opportunity to rewrite the wrongs that were done in the August 2023 harmonised elections, wherein the electorate was deceived into voting for the clueless opposition.

The masses in the affected constituencies have indeed seen first-hand that voting for the CCC was indeed a grave mistake and will, thus, vote for consistency and choose the people’s party, ZANU PF, which is the only people-centric movement in the country.

It is through its people-centric approach that ZANU PF has managed to have an everlasting covenant with the electorate.

The CCC has exposed itself as unprofessional and confused outfit masquerading as a political party. As it stands, ZANU PF will storm to victory again in the upcoming by-elections through its great works.

It will deploy its mobilisation arsenal and bring out the people in huge numbers to vote for ZANU PF once more.

To make matters worse for the CCC, all their unpatriotic efforts to discredit our beloved country’s institutions and electoral systems continue to suffer blow after blow, as earlier last week the Southern African Development Community (SADC) endorsed Zimbabwe’s election results during a virtual Extraordinary Heads of State Summit held on Tuesday.

SADC, through its chairperson and President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, extended its congratulations to Zimbabwe’s President Mnangagwa for overseeing peaceful and credible elections of the highest standard.

President Mnangagwa and His Majesty King Mswati III, the King of Eswatini, were further congratulated and praised during the virtual summit for the exemplary elections that were recently conducted in their two respective countries.

The elections were viewed as tranquil and were carried out in an orderly manner and were, thus, a major victory for democracy as they made a significant contribution to peace, stability and harmony among all living forces of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Kingdom of Eswatini.

This bold and correct declaration by SADC is the final blow to the CCC’s shenanigans of trying to discredit ZANU PF’s resounding and undisputed victory.

As I have indicated in previous submissions, ZANU PF is unmoved by all efforts to cause chaos and despondency in our beloved country and remains resolute and committed to meeting its electoral promises and uplifting our people to economic prosperity through President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030.

Dr Obert Moses Mpofu is an academic and the Secretary-General for ZANU PF. He writes in his own capacity.